Watch strap spring bar



March 31, 1953 A l, COLEMAN 2,632,935

WATCH STRAP SPRING BARV Filed Aug. 16, 1950 Inventor 70 .76 Abraham Coleman Patented Mar. 31, 1953 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCHSTRAP SPRING-BARv Altenheiml ll. Coleman, Baltimore, Md..

Application August I6, 1950v Serial No.. 179,830

(Cl. Zee-v2.65?"

l8r-Claims. l.

`This invention relates to the classv of watch making' and more particularly to means for se curing straps to Wrist Watches.

Anobject of' thisv invention is to provide a Watch strap spring bar that is readily adjustable for use with dierent size Wrist Watches.

Another object ofL this invention. resides in the provision of means for lockingly adjusting and limiting the' size oi the watch strap` spring, bars used in securing the straps to wrist Watchesv so as'.y ta pre-vent noneintentional disengagement: ci the.A vvatch.V strap spring barsr from'. the: wrist watch, .the same meansbeim;` adaptable for en abling the removal of` the strap `nlcen such is so desired by intentional movement of' tliesplit col- Iarsiforming said means-so aste, enable a decrease msizef of thersprng bars..

Perhaps: thel most; important feature. of the present: invention resides in the provision of the. Y

meansv for adiustabl-y limiting the size of the watch strap spring bars., This. means may conn` priser suitable.k split collars which are frictionally adiustably secured on the Watch,- strap' spring. bars or may consistj of the threaded surfaces `for so adjusting the..` various elementsastorsize.

Still iurther objects of the invention reside4 in. the provision ci watcn strap spring barsi that are strong, durable,y highly eilicient in. operation.,

simple in construction and manufacture,l capable of, being, readily emplaced on, various sizes o watches and capable of being constructed with male or iemale. engaging surfaces 'so as to. be adaptable` for connection to various types of watches, andl which. watch strap spring bars, vvillv be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

. These. together with the. various ancillary obleots. of. the. invention. which. become apparent as the following descript'on proceeds, are. attained by these Watch strap spring bar-s, preferred embodiments of which have been illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, by way of example only*l wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rst embodiment ci the, present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of the invention sliown in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a plan view of another form of the, invention;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View sho-wing the. details oi the construction of the embodiment of the inventionas shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a planv view of a further formof the. invention;

Figure 6 is a` longitudinal sectional View showing the construction of the various details of tlie third embodiment as shown in. Figure 5;

Figure. 7 is a plan View of a fourth embodiment of. the present invention;

, Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional View) of the embodiment as shown in Figure '7;

Figure 9 is a plan viewl of yet another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 1G isa longitudinal sectional Viewl ofthe embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 9j' and Figure 1.1N is'` a sectional view as tak-en along linel-'f-l'l iin Figure 3 and 4showing the con#A struction of the split" collar.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and with. particular reference to Figures l and 2, the reference numeralV lla generally riesig--` nates an outer tubular member which; is. prou vided.' with an endf Wall t2 having an aperture therethrough. in' which the projecting end t# of a.. stud having a head: |26; extends. The tubular member lll is provided', with a crimp: le* providing a reduced sleeve and; to provide means for pre,- venting disengagement: of said outer'.l tubular member,- ii from the inner tubular member 20' which; slidably adjustabl-.y emplaced within the connes: of the outer tubular member Ill., The tubular member All. is: rst. inserted`V wi. in the tubular memberA Ill before the crimp I8. is formed and' the inner tubular member Ml provided at its innermost end' Withl an expanded por-tion 221 of greater diameter for engagement. Withthe crimped portion I8 so as to. provide engaging means.,

The` inner cylindrical member 2Q is provi-ded with. a crimped edge 24.- and has a porti-on of greater diameter 2.6i formed abouttthe crimped edge 24. The crimped, edge 2.4 retains the collar 2.8- o the vstudiilY with-in the` connesof thev inner cylindrical member 20. and, prevents disengagement of the stud'. 39.' from the inner cylinder or tubular member 2B.'` The portion of greater dameterzl. provides; means for preventing tbe inner tubular member 2,'8. from being pushed' en: tirely within the' confines of' the .outer cylindrical member. i0'. A, coil spring 32 is positioned within the Watch strap spring bar and` biases the; heads 2:8A and I6' of the. studs 3,0. and le, respectively.V This,l in turn.. causes. the inner tubular member 2n; to be urged outwardly` of the outer tubular member lll; Hence, when the studs 3l)`l and i4 are positioned within suitable receiving` aperturesin the case; ofi the wrist' watch the spring` 32 tends' to continuously urge these membersA into. their proper position.

Perhaps the most important elementv of the present invention* resides in the split collars `34 which are positioned` in, friction engagement about the inner tubular member 2U. The split collars 3&- provide meansI for limiting thenfiini@` mumv sizevvhicli theA watch strap spring bar may attain, since the engagement of tlfiezfspli-t collar 3.41With the inwardly turned edge 28 ofy the outertubularmember i@ wouid prevent further decreasel in size. Hence, by judicial positioning of the' collars 3N, such Willi render it impossible for any accidental' disengagement or? the watch strap spring bar *fromv the watchcase, thusrper- 3 mitting the detachment of the strap from the wrist watch, causing a loss of or damage to the wrist watch. However, when it intended to remove the watch strap, it is merely necessary to apply pressure Yon the cuter end of the inner tubular member, thus permitting a reduction in size of the bar.

Referring now to the embodiment as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that herein is provided a similar device which has an outer tubular member 50 crimped to provide a reduced sleeve end 52 for retaining the inner tubular or cylindrical member 54 in engagement with the outer tubular member 59, the inner tubular member 54 being provided with an end wall 56 of greater diameter. A spring 58 is provided for lbiasing the end walls 56 and the head 50 of a stud 62 having a recess .64 therein adapted to engage pins formed on the watch case. The inner cylindrical member 54 is provided with a recess 68 for engagement with the other of the pins. A split collar 68 similar to the split collar 34 is provided for precisely the same function as the collar 34 performs.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the third form of the invention comprises a tubular member I0 which is crimped and internally threaded, to provide a reduced sleeve end I2 for threaded engagement with an inner exteriorly threaded tubular member 14. The outer tubular member is provided with an end wall 'I6 having an aperture therethrough through which the stud I8 extends. The inner tubular member I4 is provided` with an end wall portion 80 of greater diameter than the rest of the tubular member 14 through'which stud 32 extends. A coil spring under compression and indicated by reference numeral 84 continuously biases the heads 86 and 88 of the studs 82 and 18, respectively. The threaded portions 'I2 and I4 determine the size of the watch strap spring bar.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 7 and 8, it will be seen that the outer tubular member 90 has attached thereto and integrally formed therewith y the stud 92 at one end. The other end of the i portion I04 is identical with the action of the.

portion 26 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2. A spring |08 is provided for biasing the end wall 98 and the stud I. .The split collar I06, again the most important element of the invention, provides means for limiting the minimum size that this form of the invention can obtain.

In Figures 9 and 10 there is shown the last of the embodiments of the invention which include an outer tubular member III) having a. stud II2 integrally formed at one end thereof. The outer tubular member is threaded as at I I4 for engagement with the threaded portions I I6 or II8 formed in the inner tubular member which has end walls |22 and I24. The end wall I 24 is provided with a peripheral flange-|26 and has an aperture therethrough in which stud |28 extends, the stud |28 being provided with a shoulder |30 for depressing such when it is desired to remove the device from engagement with the watch case. A coil spring I32 biases the head |34 of the stud I28 and the end wall I22. The crimped portion I I4 in the outer tubular member and the recesses IIB in the inner tubular member |20 provide means for predetermining the size limitations of the watch strap spring bar.

Since, from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of each of these modifications of watch strap spring bars are readily apparent, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specication and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiment shown `and described, but all suitable modifica-- tions and equivalents may be readily resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. A watch strap spring bar connector comprising an outer tubular member, an inner tubular member slidably received in said outer tubular member, means on said inner tubular member for determining the operative size of said connector when in use, and means preventing separation of said inner tubular member from said outer tubular member, an end wall forming a part of said inner tubular member, a stud slidably carried by said inner tubular member, means preventing disengagement of said stud from said inner tubular member, and a compression spring biasing said end Wall and said stud.

2. A watch strap spring bar connector comprising an outer tubular member, an inner tubular member slidably received in said outer tubular member and having a peripheral portion of rela# tively larger diameter, exposed means on said inner tubular member for determining the operative size of said connector when in use, and means preventing separation of said inner tubular member from said outer tubular member, an end wall forming a part of said inner tubular member, a stud slidably carried by said inner tubular member, means preventing disengagement of said stud from said inner tubular member, and a compression spring biasing said end wall and said stud, said first-recited `means comprising a resilient collar settable along said inner tubular member in friction gripping engagement therewith to engage said peripheral portion and be engaged by the outer tubular member.

ABRAHAM I. COLEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

